Teenage Pregnancy Facts & Stats

When your kids enter their teen years, it’s an exciting milestone in their lives–and in your life as a parent. Exciting as it may be, the adolescent years also bring more than a few worries, and not the least of these is teen pregnancy.

Although I can’t promise that an unexpected pregnancy will never affect your family, what I can do is arm you with facts about teen pregnancy and its effects. Let this information guide your talks with your kids.

Teen Pregnancy in the United States

In 2015, 22.3 out of every 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 through 19 gave birth. The total number of infants born to those mothers was 229,715.

In one study, almost 90 percent of sexually active teens reported that they had used some form of contraceptive during their most recent sexual encounter. However, pills and condoms are the most common forms of birth control among teens, and these have higher failure rates than other contraceptive options, such as intrauterine devices.

On Children

Teen parents, who have not themselves finished growing up, can have trouble equipping their children with important life skills. This can include social, emotional and cognitive skills.

Statistically, having a young parent has a negative effect on a child’s educational success. Kids born to teen mothers are 50 percent more likely to be held back a grade than their peers.

Furthermore, kids born to adolescent parents are more likely than other kids to be placed in foster care, go to jail or themselves have children during their teenage years.

On Society

Teen pregnancy places a financial burden on society. In 2010, this cost to taxpayers amounted to $9.4 billion or more.

Part of this is related to a loss of potential tax revenue from teen mothers or their children.

Plus, teen pregnancy brings with it direct costs for taxpayers. Many of these are related to the price of caring for children who are born to teen mothers, such as health care, foster care and incarceration costs.

Many teen mothers require public assistance. 63 percent of teenage moms claim some sort of government benefits during their child’s first year of life.

Yes, teen pregnancy is a significant concern. Please leave any questions on this topic in the comments. Remember the following:

Despite falling rates of adolescent pregnancy, many teens become pregnant every year.

Teens who use birth control are less likely to have a baby.

Open communication with your children reduces their chances of having a baby.